Dark Nights
by BlackDagger98
Summary: Jonah Vestian, just a kid... surviving in the apocalypse.
1. Beside The Dying Fire

**Trigger warning: implied rape**  
"Dad?" A small voice asked, breaking the silence around the crackling fire. A heat creeped up my neck, resting in my cheeks. "Are you okay?" I looked down at the small body curled in my lap. There was no answer to the question. I glanced through the fire at the man, hunched over, clutching his stomach. Green eyes glancing back, embers flying from the fire, making them look sad.  
"I'm fine." He mumbled at us.  
The child in my lap pressed himself against me, gripping my shirt in a tight fist as a cold wind brushed our noses.  
It was a chilly night, nothing we couldn't handle, although, it's only a sign that winters coming, then we'd have to worry. Grasshoppers could be heard in the distance singing their song of the night, hopping among the dryness of the forest floor. Rain hadn't graced us since everything fell, and things started rising, people.  
It's been Dad, Lucas, and I, trying to survive. Through all this time, fighting day to day, I've come to realize something, a lie.  
"Old dogs can't learn new tricks." That old saying was never applied to this situation.  
People change after they get hurt.  
Before all this happened, before people started dying, we were happy. Mom was with us then, keeping the balance, being the glue that held us together.  
 _ **But she didn't last long.**_  
She was trying to protect us, Lukas and I.  
There was a group of men, five or six of them, filthy and dressed in rags. They looked us up and down, licking their lips hungrily. They found us at our camp, as I held a sleeping Lukas in our tent. Mom was outside, tending to the fire, and Dad had gone to go hunting for anything to eat.  
It was sudden. They ran from the forest in groups of 3 or 4, tackling Mom and pinning her to the ground.  
"Run, Jonah!" She yelled at me before her mouth was covered.  
I got to my feet as quickly as I could, running towards the forest in an attempt to protect myself and Lukas, but I ran into one of the men, my face colliding with his stomach. I clutched onto Lukas as I landed on the ground violently, the breath getting knocked out of me. I tried to set up quickly, failing and falling back as I kicked myself away from the strange man. Lukas was awake now, crying silently into my chest. A 12 year old could only be so big, and trying to protect a 6 year old that I could hardly hold was proving to be difficult. Another man walked behind us, grabbing me by the collar of my flannel and pulling me to my feet. It had only been about 6 months since the outbreak, but the men looked as if they'd been out here for years. Their teeth were a horrible yellow, yet they smiled big smiles at us. There skin and nails were filthy, and they were covered in dry blood, hopefully from the walkers. I was pushed, more so pulled, to join my mother. I was thrown down, landing harshly, still holding a crying Lukas tightly.  
"Mom?!" I cried desperately.  
"Shut it!" A man yelled at Mom. She was screaming, so loud and so shrill that I thought she'd never talk again. "We'll give you something to scream about lady if you want to be that way!" One of the men who pinned her down threatened, grabbing her by the jaw and turning her head towards us. "Those two look pretty good too, looks like the older ones got some of your looks." He taunted, licking his lips hungrily.  
With my head down, and body balled up around Lukas, my eyes scanned the group of men cautiously, counting faces and pairs of shoes. Blood trickled down my chin, a sizable gash from hitting the mans belt buckle.  
 **11**.  
Eleven men, preying on us like lions and gazelles. I made eye contact with my mother, her hazel eyes glimmering beautifully in the light of the fire, tears streaking her face, across the bridge of her nose, and soaking into the ground beneath her head. One of the three men had his hand on her head, pressing her harshly into the ground, his knee on her lower back. Another held her hands to her sides, in the process of tying them together, and another at her ankles, doing the same. As I looked at her, I noticed that I was crying too, shaking.  
"Bring them somewhere else." A man said, who I assumed was the leader. He had black hair that had grown past his shoulders, dark brown eyes that came off as black, and a scar through his right eye. He was covered in so much dirt it was impossible to tell his race. One of the smaller men of the group came up to us, grabbing me under my arms and pulling me to my feet, surprisingly gentle as he did it.  
"See? We aren't all that bad." Someone teased as we were led away. "We won't let them see you like this." They told Mom, and as I was led away with Lukas in my arms, tearing cloth could be heard, followed by muffled screams and laughter.  
I used my shoulders to wipe my eyes, still cradling a now quiet Lukas. We went far enough to where we couldn't see the group, but we could still hear the feint screaming and loud laughing. The one that brought us out here didn't look like a man, he looked about 18 at most. Maybe that's why he got saddled with us. He knelt down and met my eyes, looking into my hazel-green, as I looked at his brown. He ruffled my hair fatherly, and stood back up, a small smirk as he walked over to a log and sat down.  
Gunshots scared us out of our skin, the boy almost tripping but catching himself as he spun around, running back to his group.  
I stood there, watching him run off, not caring about what would happen to us. As he ran to the right, I turned and walked up the hill to my left, circling back around to our camp. Peaking from behind trees, I watched as everything unfolded.  
Dad had come back, and overcome by the emotions of seeing his wife violated, he went insane.  
 **He slaughtered them all.**  
I walked out from the trees once it was safer. Dad was killing the last two men, blood flying everywhere. I stopped on the opposite side of the fire, watching as Dad savagely tore into the men. Shocked at his splattered more as he continued to bash the decapitated head in with a machete. Blood sprayed, hitting me in the face, making me back up to get away.  
Dad heard the leaves as I staggered around the fire, turning quickly to see Lukas in my arms, and I, with blood on my cheek. Our eyes met and locked on each other, then he ran to moms side, and as I looked at her, I noticed something new.  
A knife was plunged into her back, severing her spine, blood ruining the blue shirt she had worn, leaves sticking to the tears and blood that ran from her face, eyes open and red. Lukas didn't look up, my hand keeping him pressed into my chest.  
I didn't want to look anymore, I didn't want to believe that this had happened.  
But I couldn't stop. Dad closed moms eyes and adjusted her pants, removing the knife and throwing it to the side.  
I looked at the knife laying in front of me, dirt clung to it, to the blood, and the light from the fire reflected brilliantly off it.  
Dad kneeled there for a while, grieving over Mom. "Pack your bag." He said bluntly, no hint of emotion in his voice. I did as I was told, gathering our blankets, the tent, and some family photos that mom had saved from the house. Singe marks were visible at the edges, but they weren't bad.  
I grabbed the knife when dad wasn't looking, deciding that we'd need the protection if people like this came after us again  
Dad covered her with a blanket, unable to dig a grave for lack of a shovel. He used his machete and did what he needed to so that she wouldn't come back, a walker.  
I was drained, physically and emotionally. I couldn't cry more if I wanted to.  
Dad extinguished the fire, took the bag roughly from my hands, and we left under the light of the sun rise.  
"Mom likes sunrises." Lukas stated innocently from my back.  
Dad stopped suddenly, putting a hand on my chest and forcing me to stop.  
"Don't ever mention her again." He seethed though his teeth, right into Lukas' face. He got an offended and confused look from us as we looked him in the eyes, and for the first time in our lives, we were scared of him. "Understand?" He yelled. We nodded quickly, and he backed up from our faces, turned, and continued walking. I followed him, avoiding getting too close and upsetting him again.  
We walked for hours, finally stumbling,  
literally, into a town. Lukas got down onto his on feet, holding my hand, or rather, three of my fingers, in his tiny fist.  
The streets were littered with tattered paper, lost clothes, and bullet casings we would kick by accident. On top of all that, blood, impossible to tell if it was from a living person or a living dead. From the outskirts of the small town, we could see 4 walkers stumbling about, groaning and decaying away. Dad immediately unsheathed his machete, making a bee line straight for the walkers. He raised his arm and brought the machete down on the walkers head, blood spraying from its head. He used his foot to free his machete, kicking the walker away. As he reared his arm up, ready to attack the next walker that was now charging at him, another appeared behind him, ready to sink its teeth into his arm.  
I was there before it had the chance. I kicked its knee, sending it crashing to the ground, swearing to god I just heard its bones cracking. I plunged the knife I had gotten from the campsite into its head, the walker going limo and sliding right off the blade. Once Dad had taken out the other two he looked to Lukas and I. He eyed me up and down, his eyes traveling slowly along the knife.  
He realized where it had come from.  
But he wasn't mad. He continued to look at me, my once white shirt now stained a reddish-brown from the amount of walkers I'd killed and the time I spent laying on the ground. My hands were now covered in blood, and bright red spots now covered my face.  
I looked like a monster.  
I stood confidently, the knife gripped dangerously in my hand. I hadn't realized how void I was of feeling for these creatures.  
 **They were once people too.**  
 _They aren't anymore, so who cares?_  
Lukas grabbed my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts, and finding safety in it.  
Dad looked away quickly, trying to find anything else to look at. He was mildly disturbed at the sight of his son in such a way, but he wouldn't say that, it wouldn't be real if he didn't say it.  
"Come on." Dad beckoned to us, waving for us to come closer.  
He picked a building to clear out first, a pharmacy, and we entered through the shattered glass doors. His machete was at his chest, ready to strike anything that dared to come at us. I gripped my knife tightly, ready to protect Lukas. There were two walkers in the store, and after we killed them, Dad barricaded the front doors.  
The sun set slowly, and we were able to actually sleep in a building for once, instead of on a forest floor. I looked around the store, my bag on one shoulder as I shoveled supplies into it. A couple protein bars, packs of trail mix, saltine crackers, some canned fruit, and some water. Someone must have been there before us, because I found a belt with a sheath, and my knife fit perfectly. When I came back to where we were sleeping for the night, Lukas was laying cuddled in some blankets, watching the small fire that Dad had set dance in the darkness.  
"Dad went to go see what medicine is here." Lukas said, barely above a whisper. He was fading to sleep.  
I tossed a protein bar and miniature water bottle his way, both landing inches from his face. He jumped slightly, narrowing his eyes at me as he sat up. "That's not funny." He said, trying, and failing, to hide his smirk.  
"Yeah yeah." I said, also failing to hide my smile. I grabbed myself a protein bar and a miniature water bottle, sitting down, and waiting for Dad to return.  
10 minutes later I could hear him making his way back. My head had started to dip as I started to fall asleep.  
"Hey." He whispered to me, seeing that Lukas was already fast asleep.  
I made a low grunting sound, my gears starting back up again. "What'd you find?" I asked quietly.  
"Pain meds, Tylenol, antiseptic, bandages, a trauma kit, and a couple books that could be helpful." He passed his bag towards me, and I did the same with mine. "Damn!" He exclaimed, almost too loudly.  
I smiled at his reaction as he pulled out the same as me and Lukas and dug in. I grabbed the books from his bag before sliding it back to him. One went over basic emergency situations and how to handle them. Drowning, heart attack, the heimlech maneuver, seizures, things like that. The other went over how to use a trauma kit, like doing sutures on a bad cut, sterilizing, preventing infection, and cauterizing wounds. I read aloud until Dad fell asleep, then I continued to read to myself, getting completely and utterly immersed in the knowledge.  
I don't remember laying down, but I woke up under the covers, Lukas snuggled into my chest. I sat up, careful not to wake Lukas, he needed whatever sleep he could get. The fire was out, and Dad was gone. His bag sat against the nearby shelf, and his blankets were still strewn across the ground on the other side of Lukas.  
"Dad?!" I called quietly, the echoing bouncing off the metal shelves.  
I heard rustling paper, and Dad came walking around the corner, a smile spread across his face. He handed the papers to me. The books from last night were summed up, organized, compact, and ready for us to use them if we needed to. Dad had even slipped them into a laminate sheath just in case we ran into a massive amount of water. We both shared a quiet laugh, and I noticed how when Dad looked out of the windows at the sun rise, he got sad, and his smile faded. Before I knew what I was doing myself, I was hugging him. My arms wrapped around his torso, and his wrapped around me.  
"I love you, Dad." I said into his chest.  
A hand rubbed my back, and the other held my head. "I love you too, Kiddo."  
We'd gotten everything packed back, even finding Lukas his own backpack. It was red, and, coincidentally, had an "L" stenciled onto it in a fancy font.  
"Splitting the load will help us move faster." I explained as I helped Lukas put his arms through the red straps.  
"Okay, and I get to use my backpack." He replied with a smile.  
"A boy happy with few things." Mom would call him.  
"Let's head out." Dad said. "It's safe out there right now, nothing that I could see." He moved the shelves, and we were back on the road.  
My right hand stayed balanced on my knife, ready to unsheathe at any moment, while my left stayed with Lukas. Dad was less conspicuous with his weapon. He neglected to tell me yesterday and this morning about the gun he had found under the counter.  
We moved on to the next building, a sports store. Dad said we already had enough stuff in our packs, but we needed to get some extra protection. There was surprisingly no walkers in the store, but Dad still took the necessary cautions; blocking the door and moving shelves to block other entrances. Dad took Lukas with him to fit him with guards, and I went on my lonesome to the archery department. Scanning the shelves, I grabbed what I was looking for. Arm guards. I grabbed a couple pairs, one for me one for dad and another for Lukas. Walking from department to department, I grabbed different protective gear that would prevent walkers from taking a chunk out of my arm or leg. Meeting back up with dad, he threw something at me. A shirt and a pullover hoodie. The shirt was a long sleeve red, and the hoodie was black with white letters that read: "I don't usually run, so if you see me running you should too, because something's coming." We all had a good laugh at that. I changed, first my shirt, then putting on the chest guard and arm guards, then my hoodie. Lukas also bore a new shirt. Blue long sleeve shirt that read: "Underdog." The red hoodie that Dad had gotten for him was stuffed into his bag. "It's too hot right now." Lukas had said. Dad finished putting his own gear own, and we left the store, deciding to finally leave the town before something bad rolls in.


	2. We Truly Are

We walked along the long dirt road, keeping our eyes glued to the surrounding forest, and our senses high. A couple miles back, we had to take down a group of walkers, maybe 7 total. They had made a meal out of a dog. Lukas looked at the dog from a distance, his face twisted in disgust. "Ew." He commented.  
As we continued walking, I couldn't help but to wonder if we'd ever find a place to finally settle.  
Lukas was eight now, taller, thinner, and tougher than a usual eight year old. He walked without holding my hand, deciding to toy with the handle of his small knife that dangled loosely from his belt. His hair has grown into a mess on his head, so has Dad's and mine.  
"When I find some scissors, I'm going to cut this crap off our shoulders." He'd remark when the topic came up. Lukas and I would have a good laugh as he joked about cutting straight to the root.  
We had a decent amount of supplies. Lukas had the majority of the food in his bag, spots of dried blood painted the once resilient surface, and the "L" was starting to peel. Me and Dad had a ration of food in our bags in case we got separated. Along with that, I had a first aid kit, instructions on how to treat various injuries in the laminated pouch, and some matches. Dad had everything else. Blankets, meds, ammo, etc. it's been almost two years since the world went to shit.  
 **But we've survived.**  
 _I'm somehow content with this._ I found myself thinking. I shook the thought out of my head, realizing how screwed up I am to be okay with this. _Mom would be alive if this didn't happen._ The voices continued. I gave Dad and Lukas a side look, wondering if they have voices in their heads to. I can see mom. She standing in the middle of the road a couple yards up. Her skin is glowing radiantly, the white blouse shes wearing reflects the light in a spectacular way and her hair flows in the wind gracefully.  
Although.  
I'm the only one who can see her. She doesn't talk to me, or move. She just stands there, hands crossed in front of her stomach, blinking, almost expectantly. I zone out when I see her, unable to hear Dad or Lukas talking to me, so immersed in her beauty. She's like a guardian angel.  
When I first started seeing mom, it was only at times that I was sure I was a monster.  
When Dad had found an abandoned gymnasium, we thought we would finally have a place to settle. It was big, it had steel doors, everything was perfect.  
 _Except it wasn't._  
There were other people, some guys, a couple women. They seemed alright at first, only there to scavenge. Dad was friendly with them, willing to make a group together. I was immediately on edge. They just didn't ring the right bells with me. I didn't sleep that night.  
I set my blanket up with something under it, sneaking to the top of the bleachers to keep watch.  
And what I hoped I was wrong about actually happened. Those people, who seemed so nice, came back. They didn't see me, hunting them like prey. My entire mind went blank, my face was emotionless, and the only thing I could think about was gutting them.  
 **That's exactly what you did.**  
I snuck up on them, taking them out one by one. I took out the first three, slitting their throats and letting them fall to the ground. I used Dad's machete on the fourth, nearly severing their head from their body, as the machete got stuck, refusing to come out. I let it go, grabbing the gun from the now dead mans holster. I aimed, and I shot.  
 **Three rounds.**  
One for each of them.  
For the first time shooting at living beings, I was pretty good. My hand didn't shake as it raised the gun, I didn't even hesitate to pull the trigger. By the end of it, it was a bloodbath, except I was the only one painted in red. Dad and Lukas looked at me, as if I was insane.  
 _You are, must be. "Shut up."_ I thought to the voices.  
I looked at my horrified family, returning a blank stare, eyes filled with something no 14 year old should ever have.  
 **Bloodlust.**  
The voices in my head wouldn't stop talking, the tension in the room making me feel dizzy. _That was fun, can't wait to do it again!_ I clenched my jaw, feeling the blood dripping and running down my face. I couldn't react, I didn't know how. My face was twisted in anger, I could feel my pupils dilating as I looked at _my_ massacre.  
That's when I saw her.  
She.  
Was.  
 _Perfect._  
She was my mother. She stood in the corner of the gym, like the moon in the night sky. The way she was dressed, the definition of pure. Her angelic apparition looked at me, her eyebrows scrunched up in the middle, concerned. Her eyes were glassy, like she was going to cry. _Because of you._ The voices taunted at me.  
She disappeared just as fast as she had come. Leaving an empty wall, and me wondering if I was actually going crazy.  
"I did what I had to." I said bluntly to the two concerned, yet scared, bodies that sat on the floor.  
But this wasn't the first time they had seen me this way.  
When we took out walkers, I'd have this look in my eyes, a look of enjoyment. It wasn't until we had finished clearing out a building that I realized I had a big smile on my face, and that for the first time since we lost _everything..._ I was happy, I was happy to be killing.  
Late at night, when we couldn't sleep, Dad would get all philosophical.  
"What if the walkers are still people on the inside? Like... their soul are still their, watching what they do, but they can't control it. And then us killing them... they could feel every shot we miss, and they feel the guilt of what their doing to others, but they can't help it, because they're not in control." I didn't know how to respond to such a thing, so I sat quietly, the thought of that looming over my head. After killing walkers, I immediately thought back to that conversation, looking at the corpses and imagining a intangible spirit floating out of them, joining the rest of their family in heaven, or whatever was actually out there. _Moms alone then._ The voices butted in, only to be ignored.  
On our travels, I would be the one taking out the majority of the walkers, taking the risks to ensure we'd get what we needed. Dad takes risks, but not 'jump a fence into an obvious group of walkers' risk. Yes. I did do that. I came to my own conclusion that I just don't care anymore, about killing walkers, killing people, and nearly getting myself killed.  
 _"Maybe I'm suicidal and I just don't know it."_ I laughed silently to my thought.  
My hand is balanced on the glock that I've used to kill over 20 men. I had started counting but I got lazy and stopped. I had scratched them onto the handle, 4 sets of tally marks. While walking I'd find myself stroking them with my thumb, finding satisfaction in the jagged grooves.  
I'm snapped out of my trance-like state.  
Screaming.  
Blood curdling.  
Gut wrenching.  
Screaming.  
We can't tell where it's coming from. It's echoing off the buildings. As soon as I realize it's a woman, I immediately think of Mom, on that night, when she fought and screamed and kicked.  
Panic.  
 _Find her!_  
 _Save her!_  
The voices screamed at me. I looked to Dad and Lukas as they turned and whipped there heads around, looking for a source.  
 _ **BANG!**_  
What sounded like a gunshot shocked the space we were in, plunging us into a terrible silence. My neck could've snapped, I turned my head so fast.  
 _That way! Go!_  
I took off, leaving Dad and Lukas behind. I was the fastest of us all. I could hear their shoes slapping the pavement behind me, no where close to catching up. It felt like I was flying, like my feet were barely even touching the ground. As I ran, I looked down all the alley ways and streets I passed, looking for the source of that terrified screaming.  
 _"DontbedeadDontbedead!"_ I repeated under my breath. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, the adrenaline doing its work inside my body.  
I stopped when I came upon a bridge, cars, dusty, rusted, and painted in blood, stopped in different places all over it. Before Lukas and Dad could properly catch their breaths behind me, I kicked off again, hopping over the first car roof, sliding on another.  
My knife was out now, ready to kill.  
 _Ready to kill anything._  
A truck sits parked on the bridge, It's long body nearly blocking the way through, except for a small space on both sides. I stop and consider my options, thinking of the consequences of what I was going to do now. I could potentially save someone, but then they could also turn on us. I bounced on my feet anxiously.  
"Jonah! Stop!" I could hear Dad yelling to me. "You don't know what this is!" Closer now, almost with me.  
I could see moving shadows on the other side of the truck, projecting from underneath the body.  
Another scream.  
Right.  
There.  
 _SAVE HER DAMNIT!_ The voices erupted.  
 _YOU OWE HER FOR NOT DOING SOMETHING!_ They blamed.  
I don't know what happened, something took over me. _Instincts?_  
I darted behind the truck as my inner turmoil overflowed my mind. Static. That's the best way to describe it.  
I finally found her. The source.  
"Hey!" I screamed at the three figures that stood around the car it's a woman in it, who I presumed to be in distress. They all turned to me, slowly, and I suddenly felt like a trapped mouse.  
At first, I couldn't wrap my head around it. She looked like mom, but then it twisted into someone else, someone with malice in their heart. Then thoughts and emotions flooded in.  
 _They have guns._  
 _They could have broken the window if they wanted her that bad._  
 _Why is she smiling?_  
 _Why is she opening the door?! They're still here!_  
 _They're laughing now... at you._  
 _Why are they acting so friendly?_  
 _They were going to hurt you, woman!"_  
Dad and Lukas came running through the same gap I did, same bewildered looks.  
A car door bursted open behind us, three more figures emerging from the small car, and the rest around us followed suit.  
12 people circled around us, leaving the gap we had ran through unguarded.  
"Ambush..." I breathed out shakily.


	3. Monsters

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="17962c311ce2e1e717ad4f21f39392db"The first three people I saw aimed their guns at us, daring us to move. I couldn't tell anything about them. They were covered from head to toe in clothes that protected them from a range of things. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Prepared, unlike /emspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"somebody /em/spanem style="box-sizing: border-box;"I know. "Shut up already."/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""/emHands up." The woman said from her seat in the car, still smiling. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I glared at her as I sheathed my knife, raising my hands slowly. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"They're the only ones that have guns. /emMy lip raised slightly into a grin that I quickly made style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The voices weren't bad em style="box-sizing: border-box;"all /emthe style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I looked around and saw that that was true. The others had melee weapons, nothing above a hunting knife. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""They could be hiding them though, always a possibility." /emI thought carefully. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""It would be easy to take out the shooters, they've only got pistols, and they're probably crappy shots too." /emIt was simple. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A little acting here and there will throw them off. Long enough for me to get my gun, take out two, and counting on Dad to take out the last one. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The rest would be easy. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I looked back at Dad, meeting his eyes. He could see it, the bloodlust returning. He nodded slightly with a concerned look. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"He understands. /emI gave Lukas a look, his eyes contrasting brightly against his dirty face. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""This is dangerous. Lukas could get hurt. He's not ready for a fight this big." /emMy thoughts raced through my head. I pushed them back, focusing on now, and Lukas' protection. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The woman stepped closer to us, carefully, playfully. "You tryin' to be some kinda hero, kiddo?" She asked rhetorically, getting closer. "You crashed in here like you were actually about to hurt someone." She laughed. She was in front of me now. "Cute." She commented, flicking my nose. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"She doesn't know you have a gun. She doesn't know you have a gun. Ha ha. /emThe voices sang. My mouth twitches into a grin again, I force it away. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"They're going to think you're something else if you start laughing. Insane in the membrane, man. /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I still glared at the woman. "It was just an act?" I asked angrily, my lip twitching again. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She leaned in my face, her smile exposing her teeth, the teeth I imagined knocking out. "Yeah, sweets." She placed a hand on my check, only for me to jerk away. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"She's trying to manipulate you, Jonah./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I could feel the familiar hands grabbing at me, pulling me back into the darkness. The darkness where I lose myself, and I do things that I shouldn't be happy with, but I am nonetheless. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Sensitive much?" She taunted. "And you!" She said in baby talk, bending down to meet Lukas' eyes. "You're just the cutest thing ever." em style="box-sizing: border-box;"My anger was beginning to boil. /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /But the Lukas did something none of us expected. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I could just eat you-" Her sentence was ended abruptly. A screwdriver protruded from her eye, blood running in tear-like patterns down her cheek. She stuttered, as if she was still there, still trying to speak, like she didn't know she had been stabbed either. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Time slowed down, and it felt malleable. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I reached for my gun, already pointing it at the armed people before they realized what style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"BANG!/em/spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"BANG!/em/spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Two shots from my gun, two headshots. The last out of the three was going to shoot me, seconds away from pulling the trigger. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I stared down that barrel, ready for style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"BANG!/em/spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A bullet sent the contents of their head flying into the car behind him. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Nice paint job. /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I avert my eyes to the rest of the group. I make eye contact with the closest one, locking it, and slowly unsheathing my knife. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"This is going to be SO much FUN! /emThis time, I let the smile grow on my face. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I don't care what they think, they're going to be dead in about 3 minutes anyway." /emI thought style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Two and a half minutes." I stated smiling, relishing in the bloodbath we had created. I looked back at Dad and Lukas. "Didn't even take 3 minutes like I thought, I counted." Dad had a serious look on his face as he looked at the gore and carnage splattered on the bridge. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I had disemboweled a man, vertically. I stabbed him through the stomach, and dragged up until I felt pleased with the outcome. Lukas went for their knees, knocking them down, and Dad drove his machete through their heads. When they tried to run, I shot them down. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Always going for the head huh, sweet pea? /emA woman's voice rang through my head. I looked around, and sure enough, there she was. Standing by some cars, there was mom. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I hate the fact that you like this, honey. /emShe continued. I tried not to stare at her, trying not to make Dad worry about my mental health, although I'm sure he does for different reasons. This was the first time she takes to me. And it was to say something like that. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What do you think's in the truck?" Lukas asked, rubbing the side with his style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Maybe it's something useful. Ammo?" I style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Dad nodded, grunting as he motioned his head to the truck. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Lukas stood to the side of the truck, I stood behind Dad, near the stone barrier of the bridge, gun pointed at the trailer. Dad had his hands on the handles, looking back at both of us one more time before opening it. He yanked it open, jumping back and raising his gun defensively./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0ffc4943b8e1a643dfeef8bb241ea91c"A style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The most accurate I can describe style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Of walkers./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="961dacd22cd92c58b4fdfed472608151"They poured out of the trailer. "em style="box-sizing: border-box;"There wasn't any sound! What's happening?!" /emI thought frantically. Dad hopped out of the way. And I tried to do the same, but something got in the way. I tripped landing hard on the ground, hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I pushed myself up, failing to get in my feet, and falling on my chest again. Everything was a blur as I looked up, my eyes picking the crowd of walkers for Dad and Lukas. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Jonah!" I could hear Dad and Lukas in unison, getting further away, getting pushed away by the crowd of walkers. I finally got to my feet, pushing away the walkers that tried to sink there arms into me. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /That's when I felt it. The hard cement thudding against the back of my heel. The shock vibrating through my entire being. Next to hit the cement was the back of my knees, causing me to buckle down. Then my back, flat on the cold stone./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="da964fcd329c3eece19525a4890da680"And then air. A lot of it. I didn't know I was screaming until I heard it, such an unfamiliar sound to my ears. The water got closer, and closer. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I was falling into the water below, head style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I took a deep breath before I landed, and everything was dark. All the sound in the world disappeared. No more growls and snapping teeth from walkers, no voices calling my name./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d220835ddc9f693084bfe8756184a21e"Complete, and utter, darkness./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec982546b779523fa702c68d7261c0e1"It was a whole new feeling of being alone. Like it was amplified. It was, it really was. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /In one swift moment, I lost everything. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You don't have family anymore. You don't have anyone looking out for you anymore. Alonealonealonealone-/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I took a deep breath, resurfacing just in time. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /My brain still processing what's happened. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"DAD!?" I screamed as loud as I could. Watching the bridge get further and further away, as I was carried down stream. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I went under again, fighting the current as it tried to pull me down. I hit something as I was thrown around the water. My body began to burn, as did my lungs. I took another deep breath as I got above the water again. The bridge was no where in sight. I spun around in the water, trying desperately to find a way to get out of the water. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Once again getting pulled down, getting rammed into debris that lined the bottom of the river. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I could feel myself, losing it, consciousness./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="185188b7f631fb12d3ac182b600338d0"And it suddenly stopped./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3ae2edc15297f15d9c502d170a85d0ba"And then I was with Dad, Lukas, and Mom. In out living room. I was at our piano, hands in the keys, playing but no sound. Mom was rocking as if a sweet melody was coming from it. Dad watched proudly, his short hair and shaved face shocking me. Lukas sat in awe. His hands not tainted by blood. And if I looked in the reflection of the polished piano surface, I could see me. Hair neatly cut, face not dirty and caked with blood, and dressed in a suit, a white one at that. A single tear ran down my cheek as I realized what this was. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""This isn't real." /emI said, looking my mom dead in the eyes, not wanting to break eye contact. I hadn't seen her brilliant eyes in a long time, but I didn't have plans to die fit in my schedule./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ea4218f609008f9530fb11951af3ace3"Cold air flowing across the right side of my face, my other being washed by cold river water. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling the gravel under my fingers as I came to./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b9d04b66f3de9ead7e39acda79f6b8c4"After a while, I was able to push myself up, sitting on my feet. I slipped the back pack off my back, the soaking mass making it harder for me to get up. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Looking at my surroundings, I see no one. I'm all alone. I'm so disoriented, I don't know how far away I am from Dad and style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Their probably dead. /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Shut up!" Yelled. I stared at the ground, scaring myself. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I sat there in that way gravel, and I cried. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""There's still a chance they're alive." /emI'd repeat in my head, but it didn't make the pain stop stabbing me in the chest. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Make camp or you're going to die. /emThe voices spoke up after a long moment of silence, my cries being absorbed by my wet sleeves. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I sucked up the tears. Took in a couple deep breaths. And I regained my composure. I wiped my eyes the best I could, wet sleeves not really being the thing to DRY your face with. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I got up, limping. Looking at my leg, I know realize how best up I am. My jeans are torn in different places, my shirt as well. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /My hand quickly slapped my hip when I thought about my glock, that all to familiar metal this as my thumb hit the handle , rubbing at the markings scratched into it, soothing me a little. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Time to set up camp, angel." /emMom said from next to a tree. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Survive for them, baby."/em/p 


	4. Alone Yet Found

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bc83e8c10a8f75e9147d6254ffd10dba"My hair stood on end, a shiver raced down my spine and a lump came to my throat. It was them. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Why do I have to see these things?!" /emAngry, frustrated, cold, and wet... and seeing the ghosts of my family. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Mom, Dad, and Lukas. Standing there, like the damn apocalypse didn't even happen! Clean and groomed, looking at me with concerned and scared looks. I just stared blankly, no emotion on my face at all. It felt as if electricity was splintering in my eyes, boring holes into trees, and the faces I held so dear. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Go. Away." I seethed at them. They still stood there, the same expressions sending stabs of pain through my style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"They were scared of you anyway, it was only a matter of time before they left you. /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I t-thought I told you to shut u- up." I stuttered out, the coldness of the night causing goosebumps to travel across my body. Every breath made my chest scream in pain, and moving my arms made my whole body shake. I could nearly stand, my legs feeling like static. Bruises covered my chest and back, multiple lacerations rubbing against the torn shirt. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /It was a struggle, but I had finally gotten it off. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The contents of my bag sat on the other side of the small fire, my attempt at drying them. I threw more wood into the fire, watching as embers shot into the air. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I scooted closer to the fire, moving my arms from my chest to expose it to the radiating heat. I didn't have a mirror, but I could feel the warmth on my face, blood dripping from different cuts, and bruises there to. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I really just look like I took a beating from the Hulk." /emI thought to myself, easing the tension. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /My eyes averted from the fire, the dented first aid kit sitting beside my shirt. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Everything in it is probably destroyed... /emThe voices commented. I thought this too. And it's why I'm hesitating to open the damn thing. I don't want to believe that I'm helpless out here. I can imagine the box, open, the contents wet, tattered, in ruins. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Go on, baby." My mother said from behind me. I didn't bother to turn around and met her eyes, my body to fatigued. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I scooted, and half rolled, to the drying items. I grabbed the white box, a bloody handprint staining it. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I'm sitting cross legged in the middle of the forest in my boxers. I chuckle to myself, my body vibrating with every laugh, then they turn to quiet sobs. And I'm holding my face, trying to hold myself together. But I'm failing. And I'm falling away. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I open the lock, my hand just holding the metal for a second, before pushing it open. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /There was water, but it wasn't a lot. Everything seemed to be okay. "Thank god for individual wrapping." I mumbled between saddened breaths. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I poured out the water and closed the box, deciding to wait until morning to fix myself up. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Better to bandage up a cleaned wound."/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ca5d59d4287676779048cda3ccfc17f1"I didn't sleep well, or rather, at all. My senses were heightened, and my ears focused on every sound I could hear. Crickets chirping and passing animals. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Survived the night though, props to ya', J." /emThe voices almost feel sentient. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I kneeled at the edge of the river, looking at my reflection in the water. I was right. Cuts and bruises decorated my face. I had massive bags under my eyes. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Must be the insomnia. /emI put my hands together, forming a bowl, and scooped up some water. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I looked at it before I did anything, checking for anything that shouldn't be there. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Clear. /emI splashed my face, rubbing at it, the wounds starting to bleed again. I watched as the stream carried away the droplets of blood. I did that more until I felt it was enough, even wetting my hair. Taking more scoops of the cold water, I washed myself off the best I could, paying careful attention to the cuts. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I walked back to camp, immediately patting my clothes. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Dry, Thank you. /emI thought to no one in particular. I moved over to the first aid kit, pulling it closer and examining the contents. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I grabbed the alcohol pads first. I nearly used all of them disinfecting all the cuts. It burned like hell, but I wasn't going to let an infection slow me down. I then grabbed the bandages. I put the adhesive bandages on my arms and legs, but the cloth one I would use for my back since I couldn't see it properly. My shoulders ached from having to stretch in odd positions to reach my back, but I managed. After I was all wrapped up, I grabbed my clothes and slipped them on. Followed by my shoes that I had sat out in the sun while I style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I picked up the padding that once covered my body. Cracks ran up the head plastic, a huge hole in the middle of the chest plate. The arm and leg pads were still usable, and I slipped them on. Scratches covered the black surface of them, reminding me of my glocks kill count. I rubbed it with my thumb, the memory of that damned bridge forever burned into my style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Crouching near the river, I looked at myself in the reflection. I definitely looked better after cleaning up. The cuts were now covered with adhesive bandages, and the bruises had lightened up due to the cold water. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Less of a mess, but still a mess./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I started putting everything back into my bag, thanking the sun for drying it. In the process of doing so, a photo fell out of the side pocket. I picked it up, just realizing that it was our family photo. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The faces looked unfamiliar, but it was them. They were civilians then, not the survivors I know now. Or used to at least. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I slipped the photo into my pocket as I finished packing. Turning and looking, deciding which way to go. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Let's try up." I said to myself, grabbing the bag and slinging it over my shoulders. I ignored the throbbing pain it sent through my body as I began my ascent. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I fought, finger and nail, to climb it, almost slipping here and there, before regaining myself and continuing. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Finally pulling myself up on to flat ground, I laid on my gut for a while, the warm cement soothing against my face. I stood, looking back at the steep hill I had just conquered. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Fuck you." I breathed out, turning on my heel and walking up the road, following the river upstream. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You don't even know how far you went. How do you expect to find them? I'm willing to bet that when, or if, you find them, they'll be trying to take a chunk of flesh out of your face./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Ignoring the voices, I continued walking, pulling out a watch from the backpack and situating it on my wrist. "12:38" I read aloud. "Most of my day is gone already."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0b073ea1c409fb0f8f39345b4259cb8""3:07" I read with a raspy voice. Walking for all these hours, my feet had to be blistering in my boots. I stopped on the side of the road, hiding myself in the brush to take a breather. My hair protected my neck from the sun, the waves of it cooling my skin as it conformed to the curve of my neck. About shoulder length, bangs of it protecting my eyes from the sun as well. I pushed it out of my eyes multiple times, frustrated with it. "I can't wait to cut you." I told my hair as if it was a living thing, then laying flat on my back on the shaded, cool, earth. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I haven't seen a lot of walkers lately." /emI thought. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Maybe their congregating somewhere." /emI looked up at the leaves that blanketed the forest, sun shining through them. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Gotta keep my guard up though./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I shuffled through my bag, inspecting the rations I had. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I could eat the crackers, but my mouth would be dry then, making me drink the water. I want to try and save it for as long as possible." /emI frowned in annoyance. I need to find some place to scavenge. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I shot up to my feet, the distant growl of walkers getting closer. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Just when I thought I had peace." /emIt doesn't sound like many, maybe I can take them. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""3 or 4? I hit my head pretty hard, how can I count on my senses?" /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I picked up my bag, shoveling everything back into it before starting back on the road. My body ached badly all over. My hands instinctively held my gut, the bruises and cuts screaming at me. As I walked, I noticed that I had started to limp. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I hope this'll go away by itself." /emA limp meant that it would be harder to run when I needed, and when I needed to fight I'd have a disadvantage. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""This is all just grand!" /emSarcasm is something that will never die. With the pain screaming at me to stop, I realized that I won't be able to protect myself if/when I get attacked. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I have a style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I have a knife. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A knife I can't use right now, and a gun with only 5 rounds left. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I really need to scavenge."/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I'm going to die out here if I can't get my shit together. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Walking for hours on end now, the sun going down, and the sharp pain dulling out and becoming numb. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I can't stop. If I stop I die." /emI thought repeatedly. span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"That's right, keep walking, survive. /spanMom, Dad and Jonah have joined me now, walking along side me. I could feel myself losing energy. I pulled a rubber band out of the bag, double twisting it on my wrist. I snapped it a couple times, waking myself up. I felt my senses spring back to life, and it stayed that way for about 25 minutes before I felt myself fading again. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I'm not sleeping. I'm not sleeping. I have to keep moving. I have to find my family." /emI silently encouraged myself. The snapping rubber band leaving red marks on my wrist, making it go raw after so long, but I didn't stop. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Keep walking. They could be in trouble. You could be a minute too late, and they'd be dead because you weren't there to help them. Don't stop. That's a waste of time. Time is precious. /spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I take a couple drinks of my water, eat a couple crackers, losing the feeling in my legs and everywhere else. I couldn't see the water, but I could hear it. Still following it. No sign of walkers, or worse, people. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Maybe if you stop being so guarded you could find a group that will help you." /emMy Dad chuckled. "You're not dead. Go away." I grumbled. "I only see dead people. Lukas and you aren't dead." I thought about what I had said and how insane it sounded. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I see dead people." I quoted in a whisper that even creeped me out. I snapped the rubber band, wincing as it hit, breaking the skin. It didn't bleed, just turn bright red, form a couple welts. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"BOOM/em/spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A gunshot echoed through the forest. I stopped cold in tracks, standing completely still in the darkness, waiting for someone to end my life right where I stood. "That was only a warning shot!" I heard someone yell. "Put down your weapons!" br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I turned toward the sound, hastily, yet silently, entering the forest. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You don't have to do this." I heard someone negotiate, a strong hick accent sticking to his words. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Just put down the crossbow, Daryl." I heard another voice, a strong southern accent sticking to his voice too. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Rick..." Daryl seemed to style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Yeah, that's right." The first man teased a second later. I assumed they complied with his orders. "One of y'all looks all nice and cleaned up," He pauses."You gots yourselves a group?" He asked. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What we got ain't none ya' business!" I heard one of the men, Daryl, shout. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Don't make me blow your head off, hick!" I could hear the gun rattle with the threat. "Your packs look pretty full. Hand em' over." He demanded. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Flashbacks attacked my head, the moments when things like this happened to my family, being held at gunpoint, and having things taken from style="box-sizing: border-box;" /In my hand, my gun sat, locked and loaded... I don't even remember grabbing it. Peaking from behind the trees, I could see them, the moonlight showing me my target. Suddenly, my vision blurred, the exhaustion starting to take over. I snapped the rubber band, muffling the sound as best I could against my gut, but it wasn't working. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I need to help them." /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"They aren't them./spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I heard the voices, but I couldn't process them. I saw the two men, Rick and Daryl, as my family, watching as their bodies blurred and changed to look like dad and Lukas. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I raised my gun, and I pulled the trigger. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The man fell to the ground, and Rick and Daryl flinched at the sudden bullet. The shock from the gun made me stumble out from behind the tree, my feet tripping over themselves. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /My right shoulder hit a tree, my balance returning slightly, but my vision still a mess of shadows. My body shook, the gun falling from my hand, clattering between the thick roots. I could feel my breathing, heavy and desperate, as I slid down the tree slowly, sitting on my knees. Then I realized these were people I didn't know, and they could be capable of anything, but also realized I can't run or fight, span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"sleep deprivation/span. My vision focused, their faces looking at me shocked, but curious. One, who I assumed was Rick, had short curly hair that was slicked back with a thin beard growing on his face. The other, Daryl, was the complete opposite. He looked like he hadn't taken a shower since the world fell. I could see their eyes moving, scanning me, assessing if I were a threat, then looking at my blood stained clothes and bruises. I opened my mouth to say something, maybe "hi!" Or "are y'all okay?", but before I could utter anything but a "huh.." , I fell back, blacking out./p 


End file.
